Full name is Charles Quinn Priester. Graduated from Cary-Grove High School (Ill.). Was named Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year for 2018-19 after going 8-2 with a 1.00 ERA as a senior. Also played wide receiver and defensive back on the high school’s football team that went 14-0 and won a Class 6A State Championship in 2018. Became the first Illinois HS player to be selected in the first round since Mike Foltynewicz in 2010.
2024
Split the season between the Red Sox and Pirates organizations... Appeared in 11 MLB games (seven starts) and 16 Triple-A games (all starts). In the Majors, went 3-6 with a 4.71 ERA (26 ER/49.2 IP), 33 SO, and 14 BB ...Threw 6.0+ innings four times . Ranked in MLB’s 95th percentile in barrel rate (4.1%) and ground-ball rate (56.7%), as well as the 70th percentile or higher in chase rate (72nd, 30.7%) and walk rate (77th, 6.3%). In Triple-A, posted a 4.38 ERA (35 ER/72.0 IP), 1.17 WHIP, .239 opponent AVG, 78 SO, 19 BB, and six HR. In September between Worcester (4 GS) and BOS (1 GS), recorded a 2.31 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and .202 opponent AVG (see table on right).
2023
Began season with Indianapolis, where he went 9-4 with a 4.00 ERA (108.0ip/48er) and 116 strikeouts in 22 games (20 starts)...Was named to the International League’s post-season All-Star team after ranking fifth in the circuit in strikeouts and tied for third in wins….Was named Indianapolis’ Pitcher-of-the-Year...Ranked fourth among Pittsburgh Minor League pitchers with nine wins... Went 4-0 with a 2.81 ERA (25.2ip/8er), 22 strikeouts and a .237 batting average against in five starts during the month of May…Went 6-0 with a 3.31 ERA (68.0ip/25er) in his last 13 Triple-A starts, dating back to 5/4…Was selected to the big league roster on 7/17 and made his Major League debut that night vs. Cleveland; retired the first nine batters he faced before giving up seven runs in 5.1ip and suffering the loss…Made his second start with the Pirates on 7/24 at San Diego and won his first Major League game (5.1ip/4er)… Was optioned to Indianapolis on 8/15...Went 2-1 with a 2.66 ERA (20.1ip/6er) and 32 strikeouts in four games (two starts) with Indianapolis before being recalled on 9/13… Picked up his third big-league win on 9/13 vs. Washington; retired the first 10 batters before allowing four runs in 4.0 innings of relief…Pitched in front of family and friends in hometown of Chicago on 9/19 at Wrigley Field and gave up four runs in 6.0ip…Took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, but had a no-decision on 9/24 at Cincinnati (6.0ip/2er).
2022
Was named the Pirates organization’s Bob Friend Pitcher-of-the-Year…Entered the season rated by Baseball America as the No. 22 right-handed pitching prospect in all of Minor League Baseball… Led all Pirates Minor Leaguers (minimum 90.0 innings pitched) with a 3.29 ERA (90.1ip/33er) while making a combined 19 starts between Bradenton (rehab), Greensboro (rehab), Altoona and Indianapolis….Attended spring training as a non-roster invitee…Began season on the injured list at Altoona due to an oblique injury...Began a rehab assignment with Bradenton on 6/9 and threw the first 3.0 innings of a combined no-hitter that night vs. Clearwater...Had rehab assignment transferred to Greensboro on 6/14; gave up five runs in 2.2ip that night vs. Hudson Valley... Returned from rehab and was reinstated from the injured list at Altoona on 6/16...Pitched 3.0 scoreless innings and allowed just one hit on 6/19 vs. Erie... Ranked fifth among all qualified pitchers at the Double-A level with a 2.87 ERA beginning with his start on 6/19 to 9/20…Suffered loss on 7/22 vs. Harrisburg (4.0ip/3er)...Picked up first Double-A win on 7/10 at Akron after striking out six batters and tossing 5.0 scoreless innings...Tossed 5.1 scoreless frames in a no-decision on 7/16 vs. Richmond...Struck out eight batters and allowed three hits and just one unearned run in 6.0ip on 7/24 at Harrisburg (no-decision)...Posted a 1.69 ERA (26.2ip/6r/5er) and 25 strikeouts in five starts during the month of July...Had a no-decision on 8/11 at Binghamton (5.0ip/2er/8so)...Gave up two runs in 7.0ip on 8/17 (no-decision)...Won his second game on 8/23 at Bowie (5.1ip/5r/1er)...Went 1-1 with a 3.24 ERA (25.0ip/9er) and 28 strikeouts in five starts in August...Gave up three hits and one run in 6.0 innings while picking up his third win on 9/3 vs. Akron...Tossed 7.0 scoreless innings and won his fourth game on 9/9 at Erie...Was named the Eastern League Pitcher-of-the-Week for the week ending 9/11... Was promoted to Indianapolis on 9/20...Made his Triple-A debut on 9/21 vs. St. Paul and surrendered just two hits and struck out six in 5.0 innings while picking up the win... Was ranked 44th among MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects in the game at the conclusion of the season (63rd among Baseball America’s top 100 prospects)…Made six starts while pitching for the Surprise Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League.
2021
Entered season ranked by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline as the fourth-best prospect in the Pirates system...Was also ranked by Baseball America as the No. 58 prospect in all of baseball and as having the “Best Curveball” in the Pirates minor league system...Spent entire season with Greensboro, where he was named the High-A East League’s Pitcher-of-the-Year...Was named to the High-A East League post-season All-Star team as a right-handed starter...Led the High-A East League in ERA, batting average against, home runs allowed per 9.0 innings (0.74), WHIP (1.24) and winning percentage (.636) while finishing tied for second in games started, third in innings pitched and tied for eighth in wins...Also finished with the lowest Batting Average On Balls In Play (.285) in the High-A East League, ranked third in strikeouts per 9.0 innings (9.03), strikeout percentage (24.1) and Fielding Independent Pitching (4.08) and fifth in walks per 9.0 innings (3.59) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.51) among pitchers with at least 90.0 innings pitched...Ranked second among all Pirates farmhands in ERA with at least 90.0 innings pitched...Allowed a combined nine runs (6er) while losing each of his first two starts before tossing 5.0 scoreless innings and earning his first win with Greensboro on 5/18 at Hickory...Tossed 5.0 scoreless innings for the second straight start while earning the win on 5/25 vs. Wilmington...Recorded a 1.59 ERA (17.0ip/3er) over a four-start stretch from 6/9-29...Faced a total of three batters while working 0.2 scoreless inning of relief at the All-Star Futures Game on 7/11 at Coors Field...Recorded first career double-digit strikeout game (10) on 8/13 at Winston-Salem... Was named the High-A East League’s Pitcher-of-the-Week for the week of 8/23-29 after striking out a career-high 13 batters, including each of the first nine that he faced, in his start on 8/27...Made second straight start of 6.0 scoreless innings and recorded his last win of the regular season on 9/2 vs. Hudson Valley...Allowed one run in 5.0 innings while winning a 4-2 decision in Game Two of the High-A East League Championship Series on 9/24 vs. Bowling Green... Limited opposing hitters to a .213 batting average against (36-for-169) and just one home run allowed with runners on base during the regular season...Ended the season ranked by MLB Pipeline as Pittsburgh’s second-best prospect.
2020
Entered season ranked by Baseball America as Pittsburgh’s sixth-best prospect...Was a member of the alternate training site roster in Altoona...Was rated by MLB Pipeline as having the “Best Curveball” in the Pirates minor league system at the conclusion of the season.
2019
Was selected by Pittsburgh with the 18th overall pick in the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Cary-Grove (IL) High School...Allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of his seven starts in 2019 with the GCL Pirates...Made professional debut as a starter on 7/2/19 (2.1ip/3h/1r/1bb/2so) against the Gulf Coast League Braves...Picked up first professional win on 7/29/19 against the GCL Braves after allowing two runs in 5.0 innings of work...Was promoted to the West Virginia Black Bears of the New York-Penn League on 8/22...Allowed three runs (2er) in 4.0 innings in his only start with West Virginia on 8/27/19 at State College.
